


After Ten Years

by Chairs123



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 15:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14334999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chairs123/pseuds/Chairs123
Summary: After ten long years, two estranged friends decided to meet up once more, as they said they would all that time ago. What will happen when they are reunited? (Not too good at summaries, sorry) (please give it a try)Note the following is a Throne of the Glass spin, or AU, of O. Henry’s short story After Twenty Years, so the plot belongs to him; and, the characters belong to Sarah J. Maas, the creator of the characters.





	After Ten Years

     It was cool, evening in the City of Rivers and one of its finest was walking the beat along the retail-food section of the town making sure it’s denizens weren’t up to any trouble. The breeze from one of the many rivers blew into the officer’s silver hair caused him to shiver in the cold night reminding him of the time. He straightened his back as well as the cap that covered the majority of the his head and from his left breast pocket he carefully fished out his watch reading the time. Quickening his pace, the strapping silver-haired officer turned the corner where more of the kitschier restaurants were. The strong male would have kept walking down his route had it not been for his sighting of a female leaning against one of the closed brick restaurants.  
     The officer neared the woman and she was quick to speak, “Don’t worry about me officer I’m just waiting for a friend. I know its an off time, but we swore that in ten years at midnight we’d meet up here and see what the world had made of us.”  
     "It feels so long ago that Ro and were having dinner here just ten years back. Well, actually, it wasn’t this place exactly because this place used to be ‘Emrys’ Family Diner’ instead of ‘Luca’s Pub and Grill.’ ” She tapped on the wall as if to see if she could conjure the old restaurant’s furnishings to sprout from the newer one’s skin. She sighed wearily and checked her watch and decided to divulge more of her story to the beat cop, “Ro and I … We were good friends since we were kids. We were practically joined at the hip, that’s how close we were. It was good times. He and I always talked and we would talk about everything, even things that usually wouldn’t be brought to attention in a regular conversation. He and I were always comfortable around each other. Ro was quite a bit older or at least I thought so— he was just three, almost four years older than I. And, as we got older we thought about our futures and what and where we wanted to go. Now, you see, at the time when we were having dinner that night and even so a bit now I thought that the nations across the ocean would bring me money bags and fame; but,      Ro wanted to stay here in Doranelle. Ro believed with unerring surety that Doranelle was the place to be, and so with a bittersweet goodbye we parted ways with a vow to meet up here in ten years.”  
     The other man seemed to nod in approval for this woman’s strong bond with this man and the officer asked, “Ever hear from your friend from back here in the time you were gone?”  
     The woman took pause taking time to formulate her answer and finally spoke, “Yes, he and I penned each other across the sea, but after a year or so we stopped. The mailing across the sea was rough on our letters because the time I commended him for some achievement of his it would be roughly a month old news, and the longer you are apart the more awkward it becomes.” She continued her story her voice filling with pride for her friend, “Ro was a good guy, despite his rough exterior. He always was a bit brisk and apathetic in most matters, but if you really knew the guy you would know he was a great listener and a loyal friend. I swear, if you were a true friend to Ro, he would lay his life on the line for you. I came a long way to meet him and even if doesn’t show at exactly midnight, I’ll be okay because knowing him I know he would never forget something like this. I sure hope he comes,” she peered down at her watch eyeing the time 11:56, “Almost time for the big reunion.”  
     The officer took advantage of the break in the conversation and dared to ask another question, “Did you become a success across the sea?”  
     The woman laughed showing off her pearly teeth, “I did. Adarlan and Terrasen gave me everything I could hope or want for. Now, all I’m thinking is ‘Did Ro make out here as well as I did?’ I can’t ever be sure as to tell if you if he did because Ro was always unpredictable, like if you ordered a chicken sandwich for casual lunch meet he would be his odd self and get caviar or something un-lunchly like that. He was funny and quirky like that.” She sighed once more fighting the urge to look at her watch again and took out a cigar lighting in the darkness casting a pale orange light across her face and hands. Her hands were scared yet delicate and agile and her eyes shone blue with gold encompassing her pupils adding to her eloquent aura.  
     The officer straightened his belt and cleared his throat bidding goodbye to the woman, “I think I’ll be going now. How long will you stay and wait?”  
     She shrugged in response and mumbled something that sounded like ‘as long as it takes, but no longer than another half hour.’  
     “Well, alright then, have a nice evening miss,” the officer said as he turned away from the woman. He thought it strange that she would go to great lengths for a friend, but who was he to judge.  
     Moments later when the officer was out of sight, as she took another drag from her cigar she exclaimed, “Ro! Ro! Is that you?”  
     A tall man almost seemed to appear a few yards down the block and he hollered back, “Aelin! It’s nice to see you again! And, I’m sorry to say the old haunt has gone away, but gosh it’s so amazing to see you!”  
Aelin was beaming her smile radiant with the happiness of meeting her friend after so long and at that moment she thought, _Why did say ten years? Why didn’t I say two or one?_ Finally, he approached her only a mere seven inches separating their faces.  
     He smiled kindly and asked, “After all this time, how has life been treating you in Adarlan and Terrasen?”  
     She didn’t stop beaming and she answered gleefully, “Gods, Ro, Adarlan, and Terrasen have treated me like a queen! I couldn't have asked for a better life!”  
     Her brows furrowed for a minute and she noted with a melancholy tone, “It seems like you’ve gotten shorter after ten years.”  
     He chortled in reply, “Ah, after spending my time working hard over here it’s bent me a bit out of shape,” he continued teeth chattering slightly so, “I know a good place that’ll keep us warmer and we can share some ale and catch up some more.”  
They rounded a corner and turned up another street savoring in each other’s presence not needing any words for the short journey. The fiery crescents shed some light on the two friends faces and with a confused expression,         Aelin said, “Maybe you have changed Ro, but I’m sure that your tattoo could not disappear in ten years and that you would ever dye your hair. Now, I’m certain you are not my friend, Rowan Whitethorn.”  
     The other man frowned slightly and responded sadly, “I concur, but ten years is enough to turn an honest woman into a criminal. You may call me Officer Gavriel, and Aelin Galathynius for fifteen minutes you’ve been under arrest by national officers. The force knew you would be in town, if that’s why you were wondering how you ended up in custody, and I suggest you come quietly,” he reached into his back pants pocket and pulled out a pair of iron handcuffs and a small parchment note, “It’s been asked that I give this to you before I cuff you.”  
Aelin unfolded the small wrinkled piece of the parchment in disbelief and read:

Aelin,  
I kept my promise, I was there when we said we would be at the time. And, when you lit your cigar I saw one of the most notorious criminals staring back at me, but I also saw my greatest and truest friend. I couldn’t bear the scene of me cuffing you and your shocked and betrayed countenance, so I had another officer come in and do the job.

\- Officer Rowan “Ro” Whitethorn

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned earlier, the general plot and characters do not belong to me in any way: the premise of the story is taken from O. Henry's After Twenty Years short story and the characters belong to Sarah J. Maas. Thanks for making it this far.


End file.
